June 16, 201412 yr W/ the highest average margin of victory in NBA Finals history, this Spurs team has to be discussed as an all-time great team. Where do they rank? IMO, they are like the '86 Celtics. Skilled passing bigs, tons of long depth off of the bench. Where they do not have a Larry Bird, they have 3 other guys who would start on that team. If the '86 Celts are a Top 10 team, and many say that they are, then the '14 Spurs are a Top 10 team.
June 16, 201412 yr I think they are the best team since the Kobe/Shaq Lakers. I don't think they beat the Kobe/Shaq Lakers.
June 16, 201412 yr Deep, yes. Great, yes. We'll look back at the careers as a whole of guys like Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker and people might forget the point in time that these older guys, plus younger guys who are still building their legacies as guys like Kawhi, Splitter, Green, and Patty Mills are and, over time, lose some perspective of the point in time those guys were at in their careers then. Leonard looks well on his way to being a bona fide superstar, and if he gets there, then historians will look at this team even more favorably. All that said, let's remember that this is a team that was taken to 7 games by a #8 seed in the first round, and who looked vulnerable against OKC once they got everyone healthy in the third round. I'll remember this team for their depth and being the best passing team since the 2002 Kings, but I think it is a bit of a stretch to say one of the top 10 or so teams in history. In my article about the Heat possibly pulling a big upset in Game 5, I looked at some stats that compare the Spurs' shooting percentage in the Finals to some numbers that you'd be more likely to expect from them that showed just how incredibly hot they'd been in the Finals. Edited June 16, 201412 yr by JokersWild24
June 16, 201412 yr I think they are the best team since the Kobe/Shaq Lakers. I don't think they beat the Kobe/Shaq Lakers. Probably right Edited June 16, 201412 yr by Jumper_Dad lost my head to the hype
June 16, 201412 yr I tweeted this last night...Every pass the Heat make seems to get them in deeper trouble and every pass the Spurs make seems to get them an open shot.
June 16, 201412 yr W/ the highest average margin of victory in NBA Finals history, this Spurs team has to be discussed as an all-time great team. Where do they rank? IMO, they are like the '86 Celtics. Skilled passing bigs, tons of long depth off of the bench. Where they do not have a Larry Bird, they have 3 other guys who would start on that team. If the '86 Celts are a Top 10 team, and many say that they are, then the '14 Spurs are a Top 10 team. Those Celtics that these Spurs would put on the Bench had 4 Hall of Famer's (5 if you count Bill Walton) and were in the middle of a run of 4 straight Finals.
June 16, 201412 yr Author Those Celtics that these Spurs would put on the Bench had 4 Hall of Famer's (5 if you count Bill Walton) and were in the middle of a run of 4 straight Finals. These Spurs have 3 Hall of Famers, w/ the potential to have more. Add to that a Hall of Fame Coach. I love K.C. Jones, but he wasn't Popp.
June 16, 201412 yr Author Deep, yes. Great, yes. We'll look back at the careers as a whole of guys like Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker and people might forget the point in time that these older guys, plus younger guys who are still building their legacies as guys like Kawhi, Splitter, Green, and Patty Mills are and, over time, lose some perspective of the point in time those guys were at in their careers then. Leonard looks well on his way to being a bona fide superstar, and if he gets there, then historians will look at this team even more favorably. All that said, let's remember that this is a team that was taken to 7 games by a #8 seed in the first round, and who looked vulnerable against OKC once they got everyone healthy in the third round. I'll remember this team for their depth and being the best passing team since the 2002 Kings, but I think it is a bit of a stretch to say one of the top 10 or so teams in history. In my article about the Heat possibly pulling a big upset in Game 5, I looked at some stats that compare the Spurs' shooting percentage in the Finals to some numbers that you'd be more likely to expect from them that showed just how incredibly hot they'd been in the Finals. That #8 seed was a match up nightmare for the Spurs, but they still pulled it out. They were a Vince Carter 3 from taking it in 6, if I remember correctly.
June 16, 201412 yr These Spurs have 3 Hall of Famers, w/ the potential to have more. Add to that a Hall of Fame Coach. I love K.C. Jones, but he wasn't Popp. Manu and Parker will probably get in and would be comparable to DJ but they'll never be considered thought of like McHale, Parrish and Bird.
June 16, 201412 yr Author Manu and Parker will probably get in and would be comparable to DJ but they'll never be considered thought of like McHale, Parrish and Bird. Duncan will be up there w/ Bird. Many people consider him the best Power Forward of all time. Granted Bird was at the top of his powers in '86 and Duncan can only play 20 minutes a game now. I'm saying over the course of their careers.
June 16, 201412 yr I am and have always been a huge Spurs fan. They are good, but I am not going to be a prisoner of the moment. While Manu, Parker, and Duncan may find their way in to the HOF - which in basketball has an odd set of evaluating criteria in that Splitter may make it, but I digress - none of these guys with the exception of Duncan for a spell of his career would ever roll off the tongues as a top 10 player in the NBA. And all 3 are playing on the back 9 of their careers. This team was deadly because of the quality depth and masterful roster building done by the league's best GM, R.C. Buford. No true superstar power talent makes it hard to for me to justify as an all time great NBA team. If that nucleus of Manu, Parker, and Duncan were 25 years old, maybe so. The Spurs were nasty on defense their first few titles. They are still solid thanks to Leonard, but not to that degree.
June 16, 201412 yr Deep, yes. Great, yes. We'll look back at the careers as a whole of guys like Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker and people might forget the point in time that these older guys, plus younger guys who are still building their legacies as guys like Kawhi, Splitter, Green, and Patty Mills are and, over time, lose some perspective of the point in time those guys were at in their careers then. Leonard looks well on his way to being a bona fide superstar, and if he gets there, then historians will look at this team even more favorably. All that said, let's remember that this is a team that was taken to 7 games by a #8 seed in the first round, and who looked vulnerable against OKC once they got everyone healthy in the third round. I'll remember this team for their depth and being the best passing team since the 2002 Kings, but I think it is a bit of a stretch to say one of the top 10 or so teams in history. In my article about the Heat possibly pulling a big upset in Game 5, I looked at some stats that compare the Spurs' shooting percentage in the Finals to some numbers that you'd be more likely to expect from them that showed just how incredibly hot they'd been in the Finals. You are funny when it comes to the Spurs. Somehow playing bad against the Mavs hurts them and crushing the Heat in the finals is just the result of them being hot? The Mavs matched up well with the Spurs. The same Mavs team might have made the conference finals or more in the east. As for looking vulnerable against OKC? They lost two games. They ended the series in 6 in OKC against a healthy team.
June 16, 201412 yr I am and have always been a huge Spurs fan. They are good, but I am not going to be a prisoner of the moment. While Manu, Parker, and Duncan may find their way in to the HOF - which in basketball has an odd set of evaluating criteria in that Splitter may make it, but I digress - none of these guys with the exception of Duncan for a spell of his career would ever roll off the tongues as a top 10 player in the NBA. And all 3 are playing on the back 9 of their careers. This team was deadly because of the quality depth and masterful roster building done by the league's best GM, R.C. Buford. No true superstar power talent makes it hard to for me to justify as an all time great NBA team. If that nucleus of Manu, Parker, and Duncan were 25 years old, maybe so. The Spurs were nasty on defense their first few titles. They are still solid thanks to Leonard, but not to that degree. Duncan was great on D during the playoffs this year.
June 16, 201412 yr Duncan was great on D during the playoffs this year. That goes without saying. That part has remained consistent his entire career. Top 5 defender all time.
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